Hello fine people, this is... my apology story? I guess? I'm apologizing because I've decided to stop the Things Change story and leave it as it is. Now, if you hate me because of this, let me know, I've decided to stop because I like the story where it's at and don't really see anywhere to go with it, but if you do, and you want me to try to create something more to the story, please let me know, I want to work for you guys. These stories are for the reader so if I can't make the reader happy, how in hell can I be happy with my work? Anyway if you want full description on why I decided to stop the story, I have a tumblr now by the same user name and the blog itself is called the Fancy Update... I don't know if you need that, but there it is. On with the story!
Disclaimer: I own none of this stuff, damn you and your good ideas Cartoon network...
Gumball walked through the hallways of Elmore High, it was an average day in his junior year, and Darwin followed close behind with his ever-present smile. Gumball stood a short five four compared to his tall brother at six two, they were both muscularly developed but they're appearance wouldn't catch much attention compared to others in the school. Darwin sported new shoes and Gumball wore hooded jackets more often than not, but the two were still the same old duo. The halls of Elmore high were decorated with the students that filled it. Dinosaurs, birds, robots, if one could think of a random object, it probably inhabited the school. The two stopped at their locker and set their books inside, then Gumball sighed to himself.
"You ever feel like we're in a rut?" He asked leaning against the lockers.
"What do you mean?" Darwin asked closing the locker behind them.
"I mean, we were right here yesterday when the bell rang, we walked home yesterday when we left the building, we got home and did our homework, I miss middle school where anything could happen and everything did." Gumball grumbled but Darwin seemed oblivious to his point. "Never mind," He said and continued to slide down the lockers until her sat on the ground.
"Gumball, you're in front of my locker," Carrie's voice came and he looked up at her, floating with her emotionless expression and one exposed eye. If she'd changed in any way since middle school, Gumball hadn't noticed it, other than a slight growth in height. After freshman year, she seemed to embrace an emo life style more and more, she didn't talk to people anymore and anyone who tried she shoved away.
"Yeah? What are you going to do about it?"
"Okay, be an ass, I'll just fly through you…" She said and passed through Gumball into her locker and was out without another word. She flew off towards the exit and left her locker neighbors where they sat.
"Bitch…" Gumball grumbled after her.
"Carrie can be that way, don't worry about it, let's just get back to Mr. Dad and Mrs. Mom." Darwin ginned.
"Yeah, alright," Darwin helped his brother up and they made their way to the door. They passed a few more students in their trek, one of them being a slim peanut with antlers. "Hi Penny," Darwin said pleasantly.
"Hi Darwin, Hi Gumball," She waved to both of them. Gumball gave a small wave back and a quick smile but kept walking.
"Dude, don't you want to talk to her?" Darwin asked.
"Maybe later, let's just get home." It was hard to explain his relationship with Penny, some days they'd flirt, some days they'd fight, other days they simply didn't acknowledge each other. It was complicated to say the least.
Gumball pushed the doors open to reveal the rain clouds that hung over head, ominously hanging in the sky, no rain came but it soon would. As they walked in silence, Gumball suddenly stopped. "Hey, I'm going to go the junk yard… You wanna come?"
"You mean where Tina lives?" Darwin said with suspicion.
"No, the one where Dad gets out clothes, just to hang out,"
"You wanna work on the bike again don't you?" His brother said seeing through his words.
"It's a freaking motorcycle, and—"
"Forget it Gumball, Mrs. Mom said it was too dangerous, and I won't let you hurt yourself."
"Come on dude, who cares if it's a little dangerous, wouldn't it be awesome if we got it working, driving up to school in that badass motorcycle? I can see us now, cruising by, you might even get a girlfriend."
"I don't want a girlfriend Gumball, I want you to be safe, you almost died the last time you went there, I don't want you to die,"
"So I overworked the engine a bit, I'm sure that it won't happen again, please dude, it'll be so sweet!" Gumball pleaded with his brother. Darwin thought it over in his head for a brief moment.
"No, I'll tell Mom and Dad you're in detention again, but you better be home by nine."
"I'll be home for dinner." He promised and sped off.
"Gumball," Darwin called after him. "Please be careful, I can't almost lose my best friend again…"
"I got this dude!" Gumball called back and pulled his hood over his head. The junkyard became Gumball's home away from home, Darwin was the only one who knew of it, and it was simply his space. He ran through the gate and straight to the old abandoned shed he stayed in. With joy flooding over him he ripped the door open to expose his pride and joy. A 2002 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Drifter bike, in relatively stable condition, covered in make-shift repairs and small decals added by Gumball. "Hello beautiful," He said stroking the bike. "Alright, let's see," Gumball pulled out a diagram of the bike her got off the internet. "Looks like you need a new oil filter and some new brakes… Those shouldn't be too hard to find…" He said happily and began his hunt. He scanned through hundreds of parts, some that looked good, others that weren't, ultimately, it seemed his search for an oil filter was in vein but brakes were readily available.
He locked himself in his shed and began his little repairs, stopping only when nature called or when thirst demanded as much. It was his time to forget about the world, to be carefree and pay attention to one thing, his new found fascination with motorized bikes. Time seemed to forget itself as he worked, until he was snapped back to reality to his ringing phone. "Hello?" He answered from underneath the bike.
"Gumball!" Darwin's voice came. "Are you seeing this? Where are you, we'll come pick you up,"
"What are you talking about dude?" He asked trying to tighten a rusty bolt.
"The rain! It's fucking pouring…. Sorry Mom," He called off the phone. "Please tell me you're somewhere safe."
"I haven't noticed anything…" Gumball shrugged and got up from the floor. He opened the shed doors to the sight of the entire junkyard slowly filling with water and turning the ground to mud. "Oh… I see your point…" He said and a oil filter slowly floated on the water in front of him. "Seriously! I looked for this thing for two hours!" He picked it up and cursed.
"Well… are you safe there? It might be dangerous for us to come and get you right now."
"I'm fine, come get me when you can."
"Okay… You still have that broken mini fridge?"
"It's fixed now, but yes, I have it, and it has dinner in it."
"Okay, we'll get you as soon as we can."
"Chill out Darwin, I'm fine." Gumball said and hung up the phone. He chucked the phone on his broken down sofa and turned on a poorly wired T.V. at first all he received was static, but he hit it twice and a picture began to form. The weather man stood on screen pointing to parts of a map without words until the volume was turned up. "…See here that the storm doesn't look like it will stop anytime soon, flooding is expected and the mayor has advised people to find shelter."
"Great…" Gumball muttered plopping a meal into a 1995 microwave. "Well, looks like it's just me and you Lucy," He said referring to his bike. "I should get a junkyard dog…" He mumbled. Gumball sat on his couch, watching the only channel he got, the news, mindlessly eating his food. "Turning out attention away from the weather, it seems that there has been a rise in High School pregnancies," The anchorman said to his anchor woman.
"Yeah right, I think I would know if something like that was happening," Gumball mused.
"Though we were unable to get an interview from the principal, concerned parent groups have taken steps to ensure that students are well educated in taking care of children and preventing further incidents."
"You think they'd have better things to do than post false news reports, I don't even know anyone who's lost their virginity!" He yelled at the T.V. "I wonder how the storm is doing…" He investigated the door and pulled it open. Within seconds a massive amount of water poured and Gumball quickly closed it. Then for what appeared to be no reason at all, he opened it once again with the same result. "… I don't know what I expected…" He said to himself. Gumball passed out on the couch later that night, it wasn't the first time, it won't be the last he had to sleep there.
The morning sunlight danced on Gumball's face, he grumbled to himself before rolling off his sofa and onto the soaked, muddy ground. That woke him up pretty fast and he shot up and ran outside. The rain had ceased and enough water had collected in a tub for him to use it to clean himself off and put his clothes from yesterday back on. He check the time on his phone, "Aw… Shit," He sighed. "Ten minutes before class starts and I'm three miles away, Lucy!" He turned to his bike. "Time for a test ride!" He eagerly started the bike up and nothing blew up, he had gotten farther than last time and eagerly sped off. He rode with the wind in his face and all the bliss in the world, "Yahoooooo!" He screamed and ran the bike through a puddle to splatter water on the side walk. The wind whipped past his fur and he could feel his eye sockets stretching past his fast. The school building came into site, when an enormous pop went off and he slowed down until he came to a complete stop. "I can fix that," He said to himself and hopped off the bike and ran for the door. He pushed the door open so hard it practically went off the hinges and sprinted to class. There were only a few kids in the hallway but Gumball zipped past them and kicked in the door to his first class and took a seat next to Darwin.
"Dude, you look like you died," Darwin said to his heaving brother. Gumball put one finger up as he gasped for breathe and ultimately passed out on his desk.
"What's wrong with him?" Tobias asked from next to Darwin and he shrugged.
"I guess he's tired." Darwin said as Ms. Simian entered the classroom. "How in hell did we get her for a teacher the past three years?" He angrily whispered.
"Gumball!" The primate snapped and Gumball shot up from his desk. "Enjoying your nap?" She asked with fake enthusiasm.
"No, I had this really weird dream, there was an ugly monkey telling me to wake up… Oh wait, that's happening right now…" And Ms. Simian growled with hate.
"You're lucky the bell hasn't rung yet," Just as she said it, the bell started screaming. "There we go, detention for Mr. Watterson. Now class, the school board is worried you aren't being taught where children come from very well, so for the next three weeks we will have sex-ed courses, you don't get a choice in this, and we'll be starting right now." The whole class let out an obnoxious groan and slumped in their seats. "Now, who knows where babies come from?"
"Well, when a mommy and daddy love each other very much," Gumball sarcastically began but no one cut him off.
"Yes, Watterson, what happens then?" Ms. Simian evilly asked.
"Uh… They have sex?" He offered.
"You are half correct, you see, not everyone in here is the product of cellular reproduction, take this worthless student for example." Ms. Simian pointed to Leslie, "Leslie will probably never know who her parents are since—"
"Uh… Ms. Simian, I'm a boy," Leslie interrupted. "And I do know my parents, they're very happy together…"
"Do you want to spend detention with Mr. Watterson?" Ms. Simian asked.
"No…" Leslie said looking down.
"Good, now another oddity is Carrie," She said pointing to the ghost in the back and Carrie sat up straight.
"How does a ghost get pregnant?" Gumball asked Ms. Simian.
"I have no idea, perhaps you should ask her yourself if you're that curious, now onto educational videos from the eighties," And the whole class groaned again. Carrie turned away and was absently looking out the window; she couldn't care less about what was going on in the video, when a paper air plane flew right through her. She looked up to see its origin and saw Gumball looking back at her. "What?" She mouthed and he pointed to the paper airplane. She picked it up and quickly read over it, Gumball felt the plane crash against his head in a few seconds. He quickly opened it up and read her response.
"Mind your own damn business," It read. Gumball crumpled up the paper and threw it to a nearby trash can. The video didn't seem to be ending anytime soon, so Gumball nestled his head onto his desk and fell asleep. However it was only a fifteen minute video and as the video ended, Ms. Simian took the center of the class again.
"Now we shall begin your first class project," That received a raised eyebrow from several members of class. "Please choose a partner of the opposite gender," Ms. Simian ordered. There was a few moments of stillness and awkward silence until everybody burst into a partner finding frenzy. As the class settled down with their new found partners, Ms. Simian took a visual roll call. "Does anybody not have a partner?" She asked and noticed Carrie in the back, her head phones blaring through her body and Gumball asleep on his desk. "Carrie!" Ms. Simian barked and Carrie obediently took out her head phones and stood at attention.
"Yes?" She asked and started to notice everyone was in a different seat than before.
"Do you have a partner?" Ms. Simian asked.
"… I work better by myself," She tried.
"I respect that, but this isn't my call to make, does anyone else not have a partner?" She asked and looked at the sleeping Gumball. "Watterson!" She screeched at him and he fell out of his chair. "Who is your partner?"
"… Invisible Bob?" Gumball tiredly said.
"Invisible Bob hasn't been to school in three months… Or he has and just hasn't said anything… Plus he is a boy, now since Carrie doesn't have a partner either, you two shall be put together,"
"Great…" Gumball grumbled. "Can you pair me with someone who actually, you know, likes me?"
"Shut it Watterson!" Ms. Simian said again. "Now, this first week you shall practice communication with your partner, I want you here by tomorrow with personal information memorized and one thing you accomplished together,"
"But… Ms. Simian, if you're partnering us up and telling us to stay with one person for an entire day… Isn't that promoting sexual behavior? On that note, wouldn't it be more effective if we just had a talk with our parents about this stuff? It's not like it's the school's fault if someone makes a bad choice and has to live with the consequences." Darwin said very thoughtfully.
"Shut it!" Ms. Simian screeched and ordered everybody out. Gumball dragged himself outside waited for Carrie to come outside. She floated out and carelessly approached to him.
"Here's my basic information, memorize it and make up some bullshit thing we did together, I'll see you tomorrow," She said dryly.
"Wait, don't you need my information?"
"No," She said and kept floating to her next class. Gumball looked over the note card. Favorite color: Black, Favorite activity: Poetry, Favorite music: Punk rock/ Alternative metal, the list went on an on. "Shit, I could have told you this stuff without a note card." He walked past Darwin and Masami, Darwin looked to be on the verge of killing himself as Masami chatted on. He grabbed Gumball by his jacket and pulled him close.
"Save… me…" Darwin whispered.
"Sorry dude, let it happen once, shame on me, twice? Shame on you," Gumball grinned and kept walking to his next class.
When the final bell rang Gumball made his way back to Ms. Simian's class for detention, the hallways were filled with the new sex ed program couples, some couldn't be more pleased, others… Not so much. Gumball pushed the door open and took went to his normal seat, only to find Carrie filling it.
"Uh… Hey," He said nervously.
"Don't ask," She said referring to her detention.
"Didn't say I was going to," and he took a seat next to her. There were several other students present, but all were silent and Gumball didn't recognize any of them as being there before. "You know, I already knew most of this stuff," Gumball said to her.
"Good for you," She said opening a book to read. Gumball awkwardly nodded off, looking around to room, Mr. Brown was heading the detention, but was on the phone at the moment, no doubt speaking to Ms. Simian.
"Alright Carrie, can we just talk?" Gumball offered, she sighed and closed her book.
"About what?"
"I don't know, I wouldn't mind getting to know you better," He shrugged.
"I tried being friendly to you guys, it didn't go well,"
"What? Why not? I've done nothing to you," He defended himself and Carrie sighed again.
"No, I guess you haven't aside from a few insults here and there… Very well, what do you want to know?"
"Where were you born?"
"In a grave," Carrie answered curtly.
"Parents?" Gumball asked again.
"I don't know who they are or where they are, I have a Grandmother,"
"What's she like?"
"Distant and self absorbed," Her answers came so quickly, it was like she ran them through her head everyday.
"Okay… What's your dream job?"
"Writer,"
"Jesus, could you sound like you're having any less fun?"
"I'm not having fun, I'm completing an assignment, and I will get a good grade on this stupid project one way or another."
"Okay, sorry… Don't you need to know things about me?"
"I've seen you around the school, I'm pretty sure I know you," She answered still without looking at him.
"Oh yeah? What's my favorite T.V. Show?"
"You watch T.V. out of boredom, you watch whatever is on and prefer a video game with your brother." She answered without thinking.
"… You can't read people's minds can you?" He asked suspiciously.
"Of course not, you're just not very hard to figure out,"
"And you're rude…" He said under his breath. "I'm sorry you got me as a partner I guess…"
"I'm not, it's nice to have someone who I don't have to put any effort in to understand."
"Hey, I'm pretty interesting once you get to know me," Gumball defended himself but Carrie paid no mind to him. "Mr. Brown, it's been an hour, can I take my leave?" Carrie asked their principal and he sprung up from his phone.
"Oh, uh, yes of course, dismissed everyone." All the students filled out and headed for their homes. Gumball caught up to Carrie afterwards and stood in front of her.
"It hadn't been an hour… Plus we were supposed to be there for three…"
"He wasn't paying attention, I did you a favor, do you want to go home or not?"
"Well… I have some free time since my parents think I'm in detention, maybe I could see your house?"
"You've seen my house," She said deadpanned.
"Has it changed at all?"
"No," With that she flew through Gumball, sending shivers up his spine and continued on her way. Gumball stood a minute longer before heading to where he left his bike. When he returned to it, it was in significantly worse shape than when he left it, pieces were missing, both tires were now popped, and the headlights hung by a string of wires.
